(Vol. ii., p. 88.)
Plutarch (tom. ii., p. 397.D.) has these words:
[Greek: "Ou gar esti theou hae gaerus oude ho phthoggos, oude he
lexis, oude to metron, alla taes yunaikos: ekeinos de monas tas
phantasias paristaesi, kau phos en tae psuchae poiei pros to
mellon."]
If that be the passage referred to be Rollin, nothing is said there
about ventriloquism. The Scholiast on Aristoph. (_Plut._ 39.) tells us
how the Pythian received the _afflatus_, but says nothing about her
_speaking_ from her belly: He only has
[Greek: "Ta taes manteias hae mallon manias ephtheggeto
hraemata."]
In another place of Plutarch (tom. ii., p. 414. E.) we have [Greek:
eggastrimuthoi] and [Greek: puthones] used as synonymous words to
express persons into whose bodies the god might be supposed to enter,
"using their {235} bodies and voices as instruments." The only word in
that passage which appears to hint at what we call ventriloquism is
[Greek: hupophtheggesthai].
I have very little doubt that amongst the various tricks of ancient
divination ventriloquism found a place; but I cannot give that direct
evidence which MR. SANSOM asks for. I think it very likely that "_the
wizards that peep and mutter_" (Isa. viii. 19.) were of this class; but
it is not clear that the [Hebrew: 'obot]--the [Greek eggastrimuthoi] of
the LXX.--were so. The English version has "them that have familiar
spirits." The Hebrew word signifies _bottles_; and this may mean no more
than that the spirit of divination was contained in the person's body as
in a bottle, "using his body and his voice as instruments," as in the
place of Plutarch quoted above. We have something like this, Acts, xix.
15., where "the evil spirit answered," no doubt in the voice of the
demoniac, "Jesus I know," &c. Michaelis (Suppl., p. 39.) gives a
different meaning and etymology to [Hebrew: 'obot]. He derives it from
the Arabic, which signifies (1) _rediit_, (2) _occidit_ sol, (3) _noctu
venit_ or _noctu aliquid fecit_. The first and third of these meanings
will make it applicable to the [Greek: nekromanteia] (of which the witch
of Endor was a practitioner), which was carried on at night. See Hor.
_Sat._ I. ix.
I do not think that the damsel mentioned Acts, xvi. 16. was a
ventriloquist. The use of the word [Greek: ekraze] in the next verse,
would lead us to infer that she spoke in a loud voice _with her mouth
open_; whereas the [Greek: eggastrimuthoi] are defined by Galen
(_Glossar. Hippocr._) as [Greek: oi kekleismenou tou stomatos
phthengomenoi].
Consult Vitringa and Rosenmüller on Isa. viii. 19., Wolf and Kuinoel on
Acts, xvi. 16., Biscoe on the Acts, ch. viii. §2; where references will
be found to many works which will satisfy Mr. SANSOM better than this
meagre note.
[Hebrew: B]
_Ventriloquism_ (Vol. ii., p. 88.).--In reply to Query 1, I wish to call
Mr. SANSOM'S attention to _Plutarch de Oraculorum defectu_ (Lipsiæ,
1777, vol. vii. p. 632.), and to Webster's _Displaying of supposed
Witchcraft_ (chaps. vi. and viii.). Queries 2 and 3. Besides the
extraordinary work of Webster, he may consult the elaborate
dissertations of Allatius on these subjects, in the eighth volume of
_Critici Sacri_. Query 4. On the use of the term [Greek: eggastrimuthos]
by the sacred writers, _Ravanelli Biblioth. S._, and by classical
authors, _Foesii Oeconomia Hippocratis_; and for synonymous "divinorum
ministrorum nomina," _Pollucis Onomasticon_.